Avildsen won an Academy Award for directing the original 1976 “Rocky” starring Sylvester Stallone, and went on to direct all three of the original “Karate Kid” films. Avildsen also won the DGA Award for directing “Rocky,” which earned Oscars for best picture and film editing, and was nominated in multiple other categories.

A representative for Avildsen did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Avildsen graduated from the prestigious Hotchkiss School and NYU. He started out in the film industry as an assistant director on movies by Arthur Penn and Otto Preminger.

Avildsen’s eldest son, Anthony, said his father died of pancreatic cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

A documentary on the director’s life and career, “John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs” (2016), directed and produced by Derek Wayne Johnson, features interviews with Stallone, “Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio, Martin Scorsese, Jerry Weintraub and Burt Reynolds. The documentary is a companion to the book “The Films of John G. Avildsen: Rocky, The Karate Kid, and Other Underdogs,” written by Larry Powell and Tom Garrett.

Avildsen is survived by a daughter, Bridget, and sons Anthony, Jonathan and Ashley.

Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2017 (Photos)

2017 has only just begun, but the year has already claimed a few of Hollywood's finest.

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Tony Rosato The actor, who appeared on "SCTV" and later joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1981, died of a heart attack on Jan. 10 at the age of 62.

William Peter Blatty The author of the famed horror novel "The Exorcist," died from cancer on Jan. 12 at the age of 89.

Dick GautierThe actor who starred in the original Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie" and played the role of Hymie the Robot on "Get Smart" died on Jan. 13 at the age of 85.

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Jimmy “Superfly” SnukaWWE legend Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka died from stomach cancer on Jan. 15 at the age of 73. He was inducted into the WWF (now WWE) Hall of Fame in 1996 and was also the first WrestleMania opponent of The Undertaker.

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Miguel Ferrer The "NCIS: Los Angeles" star who played the role of Owen Granger died Jan. 19 from cancer at the age of 61.

Lee O'Denat aka "Q"The founder and CEO of music and culture website WorldStarHipHop, Lee O'Denat, died on Jan. 23 in his sleep at the age of 43, according to TMZ.

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Mary Tyler MooreThe legendary six-time Emmy-winning star of the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" died on Jan. 25 at the age of 80.

Mike Connors

The American actor, best known for playing a private eye on the long-running CBS action series "Mannix" (1967-75), died on January 26 at age 91.

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Barbara HaleThe actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on the long-running legal drama “Perry Mason,” died Jan. 27 at the age of 94.

According to the Washington Post, Hale died of complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

John HurtThe Oscar-nominated British actor whose career spanned six decades and starred in “The Elephant Man,” "Alien" and three "Harry Potter" movies died at the age of 77 on January 27. Hurt had been battling pancreatic cancer since 2015.

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Richard HatchRichard Hatch, who played Captain Apollo on the 1970s sci-fi television series “Battlestar Galactica,” died at the age of 71 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer on Feb. 7.

Brenda Buttner

The senior business correspondent and host of “Bulls and Bears” for the Fox News Channel, Brenda Buttner died on Feb. 20 after a battle with cancer at the age of 55.

Neil Fingleton

The 7-foot, 7-inch Fingleton died Feb. 25 at age 36. He was best known for his role as the giant called Mag the Mighty on "Game of Thrones" and was Europe's tallest man.

Bill Paxton

The star of "Aliens" and "Titanic" died Feb. 26 due to complications from surgery. He was 61 years old.

Robert Osborne

Film historian and longtime host on Turner Classic Movies, Robert Osborne, died Mar. 6 at the age of 84.

Joni Sledge

Joni Sledge of the 1970's musical group, Sister Sledge, known for their single “We Are Family," died Mar. 10 at 60-years-old.

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Auntie Fee

Felicia O’Dell, better known as Chef Sista Girl or Auntie Fee, was a viral YouTube sensation known for her "good ass chicken" died Mar. 17 after suffering a heart attack. She was 59-years-old.

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Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry, singer and songwriter of rock and roll classics such as “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven” and “Johnny B. Goode” died Mar. 18 at the age of 90.

Bernie Wrightson

Bernie Wrightson, famed comic book artist known for co-creating the DC comic book monster Swamp Thing, died Mar. 19 after a long battle with brain cancer at 68-years-old.

Jimmy Breslin

Jimmy Breslin, the Pulitzer-winning reporter and columnist whose life was as outsized as the New York City characters he depicted and exposed in print, died Mar. 19 at the age of 88.

He was known for reporting on letters he received from “Son of Sam” serial killer, David Berkowitz in 1977 and exposed one of the city’s worst corruption scandals in the ’80s.

Darlene Cates

"What's Eating Gilbert Grape" mom, Darlene Cates, died Mar. 26 peacefully in her sleep at the age of 69.

Don Rickles

Legendary stand-up comedian and actor best known as an insult comic, Don Rickles died Apr. 7 at the age of 90.

Charlie Murphy

The actor and comedian -- the older brother of Eddie Murphy who was best known for his incredibly memorable stints on "Chappelle's Show" -- died April 12 from complications from leukemia.

Erin Moran

Erin Moran, best known for playing Ron Howard’s kid sister in the classic 1970s sitcom “Happy Days,” died Apr. 22 at the age of 56.

Jonathan Demme

Jonathan Demme, Oscar winning director of "The Silence of the Lambs," died Apr. 26 from esophageal cancer at the age of 73.

Michael Mantenuto

Michael Mantenuto, who starred in Disney’s 2004 film “Miracle,” died at the age of 35 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Apr. 24.

Powers Boothe

The Emmy-winning character actor, who had memorable stints on "Deadwood," "24," and "Nashville," died in his sleep of natural causes at age 68 on May 14.

Brad Grey

The longtime producer, who also served as chairman and CEO of Paramount for 12 years, died May 14 of cancer at age 59.

Roger Ailes

Former Fox News Chief, Roger Ailes, who resigned from the company in July after former anchor Gretchen Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit that resulted in multiple women coming forward with similar claims died on May 18 at the age of 77.

According to a family friend who spoke with CNN, Ailes fell at his home in Palm Beach, Florida last week, suffered complications, and slipped into a coma.

Gregg Allman

The organist and singer for The Allman Brothers, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Gregg Allman died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Savannah, Georgia, at the age of 69, according to his official website. Allman helped create the Southern Rock genre, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Lisa Spoonauer

Lisa Spoonauer, who played Caitlin Bree in the 1994 film “Clerks,” died at the age of 44. The film's director, Kevin Smith, reported the news on June 6.

Adam West

Adam West, the titular star of TV’s “Batman” from 1966-1968, has died after battling leukemia at the age of 88 on June 9.

Martin Landau

Martin Landau, star of “Ed Wood,” “North by Northwest” and the ’60s TV series “Mission: Impossible,” died July 15 at the age of 89 after experiencing unexpected complications during a short hospitalization.

George Romero

George A. Romero, famed horror director who invented the modern zombie movie with 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead,” died July 16 at age 77 after a short battle with lung cancer.

Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard, author, playwright and actor, died on July 27 from complications of ALS, theatre public relations firm Boneau/Bryan-Brown confirmed Monday. He was 73 years old.

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A look back at the stars of movies, TV, media and music we lost this year

2017 has only just begun, but the year has already claimed a few of Hollywood's finest.